Editing Principality of Sealand (section)

=== Death of founder ===
Roy Bates died at the age of 91 on 9 October 2012 after a diagnosis of [[Alzheimer's disease]] several years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-01-18 |title=Roy Bates, self-proclaimed prince who turned wartime fort into 'natio… |url=http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Bates+selfproclaimed+prince+turned+wartime+fort+into+nation+Sealand/7368653/story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118175115/http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Bates+selfproclaimed+prince+turned+wartime+fort+into+nation+Sealand/7368653/story.html |archive-date=18 January 2013 |access-date=2024-07-05 |website=Calgary Herald}}</ref> His son Michael took over the operation of Sealand,<ref name="Braun2013">{{Cite web |last=Braun |first=Adee |date=30 August 2013 |title=From the Sea, Freedom |url=https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/sea-freedom |access-date=1 November 2021 |work=[[Lapham's Quarterly]] |quote=Roy Bates died in 2012, and was succeeded by Prince Michael... |archive-date=1 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101164501/https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/sea-freedom |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Alexander |first=Michael |date=Aug 2, 2013 |title=Prince Roy of Sealand Memorial Coin Launched |url=http://news.coinupdate.com/prince-roy-of-sealand-memorial-coin-launched-2096/ |website=Coin Update |quote=Prince Roy was succeeded by his only son, the Prince Regent – now Sovereign Prince Michael... |access-date=1 November 2021 |archive-date=1 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211101164453/http://news.coinupdate.com/prince-roy-of-sealand-memorial-coin-launched-2096/ |url-status=live }}</ref> although he continued to live in Suffolk,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ryan |first1=John |title=Micronations |title-link=Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations |last2=Dunford |first2=George |last3=Sellars |first3=Simon |publisher=Lonely Planet |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-74104-730-1 |page=9–12}}</ref> where he and his sons were operating a family fishing business called Fruits of the Sea.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milmo |first=Cahal |date=2016-03-19 |title=Sealand's Prince Michael on the future of an off-shore 'outpost of liberty' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sealand-prince-michael-on-the-future-of-an-offshore-outpost-of-liberty-a6940201.html |website=[[The Independent]] |language=en |access-date=4 September 2023 |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/sealand-prince-michael-on-the-future-of-an-off-shore-outpost-of-liberty-a6940201.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Joan Bates]], Roy Bates's wife, died in an Essex nursing home at the age of 86 on 10 March 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milmo |first=Cahal |date=2016-03-14 |title='Princess Joan of Sealand' has died aged 86 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/joan-bates-dead-princess-of-sealand-dies-aged-86-a6931106.html |website=[[The Independent]] |language=en |access-date=13 June 2020 |archive-date=30 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210430050304/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/joan-bates-dead-princess-of-sealand-dies-aged-86-a6931106.html |url-status=live }}</ref>